Improvement in grain-binders



2 Shank-Sheet l. J. B. GREENHUL Grain Binder.

Pate nted Sept. 8, 1868.

, lm 5555f I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J B. GREENHUT.

Grain Binder.

' Patented Sept 8, 1868.

11v van-0R UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOSEPH l3. GREENIIUT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-BINDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent Nb. li ,591, dated September 8, 1868.

'To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, J'osnrn l3. GnEENnU'r, of thecity of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Rakers and Binders; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts, wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to deseribe'it.

In the accompanying drawings, Sheet I, Fig- .ure 1, represents the plan of the top of the 6 is the plan of the bottom of the grain-platform and machinery. Fig. 7 is the side elevation of the driving-pulley and regulatingsegment. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the sheave or spur-pulley Working. the endless :chain and of the bevel-gear operating the pulley.- Fig. 9 is partly a-section and partly a side elevation of the conico-cylindri cal case, metallic fingers, hooked bent lever, and of the devices operating the same and the knife. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the conical end of the case, fingers, bent lever, and a part of the devices operating the same and the knife. Fig. 11 is the plan, and Fig. 12 the side elevation, of the compressor. Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the cap 11 and its llange 1, and Fig. 1 1 is a side elevation of the flange 1. Fig. 15 is the plan of the knife 3, and Fig. 16 is a side elevation of the cog-wheel J, with the position of cam-flanges distributed over its face.

The object of my invention being to devise means of binding grain wit-h twine, its nature consists in a rake gathering the grain and delivering it on the com pressor automatically,

said rake being secured to and operated by an endless chain placed in the slot made in the grain-platform of a reaper.

It consists, also, in a compressor which compresses the sheaf and places the twine around it, said compressor working in connection with a regulating device so arranged that when thegrain is sparse the rake and the binding machinery cease to operate until there is just as much grain cut by the reaper as there is in a sheaf compressed by and held in the compressor.

It consists, also. in the metallic fingers so constructed and operating that when the sheaf is compressed and the twine placed around it they seize the end and the continuation of said twine, give a twist to it, and form a drawing-loop, the knot of which is seized by the hook of a bent lever brought to the sheaf and tightened, said lever acting in conjunction with the said fingers.

The invention consists, also, in the arrangement of the knife cutting the twine after the loop is formed, as also in the arrangement of the gear, cam-flanges, and other devices to operate the said machinery.

A is a grain-platform attached to the reaper in place of an ordinary platform, provided with slot B, and the guide-rail a, placed underneath the platform and along the slot B, which rail is uniform in places where rake O is to go in a straight direction, but somewhat wider at the bends of the slot and along its shorter lines for the purpose of regulating the positions of the rake as it moves around.

The rake 0 consists of three or more, if desirable, teeth or bars 0 c, secured to a crossbar I), the central bar 0 being provided with a foot-plate I), of a lozenge form, sliding on the top of platform A. The lower plate D is secured to the chain E, and the bar 0 is extended underneath the platform. The extension at of bar 0 passes freely through plate I), and its lowerend is provided with two slits crossing each other, into which slits enters the straight end of the guiding-hook e, placed in the loop (Z',secured to the plate D, and kept in place by the coil spring f, fastened to the said hook and to the plate D. The hook keeps the rake firmly in place when within the slits, but allows the rake to revolve when withdrawn, and being allowed by the spring f to follow the irregularities of the outside edge of the rail a permits the rake to assume diiferent positions as it moves around.

' There are pin g and guide F, secured to the 'wheel J. The regulating top of the platform, which, in conjunction with foot-plate D and hook e, govern the movements of the rake, which stands across the slot B and the platform, when it rakes the grain and deposits it on the compressor R, then moves sidewise until its foot-plate D strikes at pin g, when the rake takes position in the direction of the slot B and travels around, as indicated by red lines on Sheet I, Fig. 1. The endless chainE is supported by flanged pulleys G G and moved by the toothed sheave orpulley H, which in its turn is worked by bevel-gear h, shaft I, and pinion 'i, the last gearing into the cog-wheel J. Pulley K, being the driving-pulley of the whole binding machinery, is connected directly with the driving-wheel of the reaper, to which the platform A is attached, by a chain, belt, or some other connecting device, and its shaft 76 bears a bevel-pinion 7t, gearing into the bevel-gear j, secured to or cast in one piece with the cogdevice worked by the said pulley consists in the following: shaft is, supported by and journaled to the standards-Z l, secured to plate L, has a notch n, into which catches pawl N, pinned to the side of the pulley K and kept in place by spring n; one end of which is secured to the pulley K.

The other end of the pawl N, made in the shape of a hook, gears into the toothed segment Mwhen the same is placed in a certain position. The segment is set on the shaft m, supported by bearings m m, and provided with a bent plate 0, into the slot of which enters one end of the bent rod Q, supported by proper bearings and shaped as represented on Sheet II, Fig. 6, the other end of the rod being placed into the slot of the connectingplate q, pinned to the short end of one of the compressing-arms Y Y of the compressor R.

Across the slot 7" of the plate L, through which passes segment M, a regulating-plate S is placed, which is provided with slot 8, through which passes set-screw s, securing and adjusting plate S to the plate L. The plate S may also be pivoted .to plate L, and with proper connections may be madeadjustable, so that it may be adjusted while the machinery is in operation, the purpose of the regulating device being to allow the operator byproperly setting the device to regulate the size of the sheaf to be formed, as will be hereinafter fully explained.

The shaft of the cog-wheel J is journaled to the-standard t of the bench T, bearing the binding device, and its side nearest to the said standard is provided With cam-flanges U U,of the shape as represented on Sheet II, Fig: 16. Shaft V, secured firmly at one end to the lower end of the standard W of the compressor R and supported by suitable bearings, is provided at the other end with a crank pin to, the pin of which, as the co -wheel J revolves follows the camfianges U U and raises or lowers the standard W of the compresso'r'. When lying, the compressor is placed in the slot X of the grain-platform and does not interfere with the raking. of the grain. It consists of standard W, provided with cross-plate a, to support twine T when the sheaf is compressed or the standard brought up, and also to guide the said twine into the slot 1) of the plate P, and the cross plate -'0 to also support the twine and to guide it to the cutting-knife .3. The upper end of said standard is provided Witha little cam y, the edge of which, pressing the end of the twine T against the notched vertical flange y, holds it fast, the end of said twine passing over and under the hook '0'. arms Y Y are pinned to the standard W and form knee-joint with plates Y Y, jointed at the lower end by a pin 2, to which one end of a strong spring-lever Z is secured, while the otherend of said lever is secured to the grainplatform A. Standard or bearing Z forms a fulcrum for the lever Z, and may be made adjustable by means of a slotin the platform and a'boltand nut, which arrangement would permit to make spring-lever Z longer or shorter, thereby producing more or less tension on the arms YY, compressing the sheaf.

The spring-lever presses arms Y Y upward, but makes them at the same time elastic, and therefore capable of accommodating sheaves of dilferent sizes. The grain, after being raked over the compressor R, is formed by the last as it rises into asheaf, which becomes compressed between the standard W, arms Y Y, guides t i, secured to the bench T, and the plate P, also secured to the bench and provided with a slot 13, into which standard WV enters, its cross-plate u coming close under plate P, and the ends of arms Y Y passing between the guides t t.

I is the standard secured to the bench T and bearing cap II, provided with an opening Z for the twine T passing from bobbin III through said opening and down to the top of the compressor R, where its end is secured by cam 11 as above described. 2 isa horizontal plate secured to the standard I, having itsforward end formed in the. shape of'a fork, to one prorg of which knife 3 is pivoted, while the other prong 4 is made like a shear with a cutting-edge, against which knife 3 is is pressed.

The knife is operated by device IV, consisting of arm 5, connected with standard 6 of the knife and pinned to the Vertical arm 7, pivoted at 8 to the case A. This arm 7 is moved by the horizontal arm 9, pinned to the upper end of the angular lever 10, having its fulcrum at the angle, and whose short arm is engaged by the cam-flanges U U, secured to the face of the cog-wheel J, as represented on Sheet II, Fig. 16. This short arm, when the machinery is in operation, being pressed down by the cam-flange M, draws the knife3 against the cutting-edge of the prong 4 and cuts the twine. Cap II is also provided with a flange 1, to which pawl 2 is pivoted, and is kept in place by spring 3. The pawl 2 serves to open cam y, and thus disengage the old twine,

Compressings1,so1 3 when the projecting arm of cam y passes over and beyond the pawl 2'. This projecting arm of cam y on the downward motion of the standard W passes underneath the pawl 2, which secures the new end of the twine to the said standard W. p

The device to make the knot and the loop consists of eonico-cylindrical case A", secured to the bench T, and provided in its cylindrical part open on the top with grooves d" a, made of flanges, and partitions b I); also with anenlargement in its conical part of the thickness 'L' of the case inside and in the forward end of the same. Shaft B, passing through case A, is provided at the rear end with pinion C, gearing into the cogwheel J and the head 0, the head and the shaft at the pinion being provided with coup ling-flanges d" d", which look together when brought in contact at a certain turn of wheel J. Head 0" is placed in and moved by the yoke e" of the forked standard D, pinned to the projection E of the shaft of the cog- Wheel J. The standard is provided with a beard l which is acted upon by two camflanges f" and g, cast with or secured tothe face of the wheel J, as represented on'Sh-eet I, Fig. 2, one of them f having the purpose to press beard F" down and to bring head 0" to pinion 0, thus locking the coupling of the same, and the other cam-flange g having the purpose to press beard F upward, thereby disconnecting head 0" and pinion C. Shaft B is slotted along its forward end for the admission of connecting-rod H and pin G, to which said rod is secured, and which is kept in place by spring h", wound around and secured with one end to shaft B. The forward end of the rod H is jointed to the short ends of the metallic fingers K K by means of a loop into which said end is formed. The fingers K i" are pivoted to the end of shaft B, which is provided with two slits cut in the shape of V, into which slits the fingers tit, and which cause them to separate when thrown back, and when in a straight position cause them to come into close contact with each other. The fingers are tapered toward the outer end, each of the ends being provided on the inner side with small heads 1'", the heads, when in contact, forming a hollow space below them, where the twine keeps free, and holding firmly the same by the pro jection in one head fitting into the notch of the other. One of the heads has a slit j in the upper end, into which enters the hooked end of the bent lever L when the fingers are drawn into the caseA for the purpose of seizing the knob and ofdrawing it down to plate P. The conical end of the case A" is provided with an indentation and slot Z" ,into which fits the hooked end of the bent lever L, which has the fulcrum at the end of the brace 972-, secured to the case A", and its short end is pinned to and moved by the lower part of the arm 7 of the device IV, that moves the knife 3.

The operation of the above-described device consists in this, that the cam-flange f, when cog-wheel J is revolving by pressing down beard F, moves standard I) and with it shaft B" and fingers K" K", the pin G meantime following the grooves a" a" until it is placed between partitions b" b, the rear one of which has a horizontal slot for it to pass through, when by means of spring h the fingers K i are thrown back, assuming the position as represented on Sheet 11, Fig. 9. At this time the heads" locks with pinion C" and the shaft B" commences to turn around, causing fingers K i to revolve, one of which, catching the doubled twine suspended in front of them, twists it around itself and the other finger. At this time head a and pinion 0 become unlocked by means of beard F being pressed upward by camfiange g, and the shaft B commences to' move backward, thus drawing in the fingers K K and closing the same, which by so closing seize the straight hanging twine and drawing it through the previously-formed knot make a drawing-loop. At the same time the hooked end of bent lever L" catches the knot and drawing it down to the plate P tightens it, placing the same close to the sheaf and holding it down while the fingers are drawing the loop. The same device IV which operates said -lever L" operates also the knife 3, which cuts off the old end and the continuation of the twine outside of the formed loop. The fingers afterbeing drawn into the widened space of the case A inside become open and let the formed loop free to come out of said case.

hen grain is sparse, by determining how many revolutions the driver of the reaper has to make in order to out grain enough for a sheaf, the position of the segment M of the regulating device is also determined and the regulating-plate S adjusted, bringing as many teeth of segment M under the action of the pawl N as there are revolutions to be made by the reapers driver without operating the raker or binder, so that when pulley K commences to revolve the pawlNengages with its hooked end one tooth of the segment M at a time and moving the segment back the distance of one tooth, the pawl N missing at the same time the notch n of the shaft 76. This operation is thus repeated until segment M stands no longer in the way of the pawl N, which then engages the shaft 76, thus starting the raking and binding machinery; then the sheaf after being bound is thrown off the platform, when standard W' is brought down, The segment M is brought again into its former place by the bent rod Q, pressed down by the connectin g-plate q and the arms Y Y at the nextformation of the sheaf.

\Vhen grain is heavy, so that a sheaf may be formed with every revolution of the reapers driving-wheel, then the operation of the above-described binder consists in the, follOWlHQ Enough of twine being wound around the bobbin III, the end of said twine is passed through the opening 1 of the cap II, and beingdrawn down is secured to the top of the compressor R by the cam 'y. The machine is started and the rake travels along the slot 13, gathers the grain falling on the platform and delivers it on the compressor R, which, rising up and compressing the sheaf, as above described, brings the end of the twine to its continuation between the prongs of the fork 2 and between the knife 3 and the cuttingprong 4- Then the metallic fingers K K come out of the case A", catch the doubled twine between the cross-plate u of the standard W and the plate P, twist it around, seize the hanging twine and drawing it through the forming-knot form a drawing-loop, while the hooked-end of the bent lever L" catches the thus formed knot and draws it down to the plate P close to the sheaf, while at the same time knife 3 cuts the twine, the new end of which is seized by the cam y as the standard W moves down, drawing the twine off from the spool or bobbin III to have it ready for the next sheaf, at the same time releasing the sheaf and allowing it to fall from the platform, and the same operation is again repeated.

Having thus fully described my grain raker and binder, what I claim as new and my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I l. The rake O,- constructed as described, in combination with chain E, guide-rail a, plate D, hook 6, plate D, pin 9, and guide F, or their equivalent devices, the whole ar-. ranged and operating substantially as herein set forth and specified.

ard W, provided with cam y, hook v, and

plates 11. and 1), the compressing-arms y y, plates y y, and adjustable spring-lever Z, each part constructed as described, and all arranged and operating substantially as herein set forth.

3. The regulating device consisting 'of segment M, pawl N, adjustable plate S, bent rod Q, and connectingplate q, all arranged and operating substantially as and in the manner herein described and specified.

' 4. In combination withthe compressor R, the cap II, provided with opening 1, and flange 1', with its pawl 2, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of the knife 3, fork 4, and device IV, and cam-flanges U, all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

6. The binding device, consisting of case A, shaft B, rod H", pin G", spring h", fingers K", K, pinion 0, head 0, flanges d d, yoke e, and forked standard D, or

their equivalents, each and all constructed, arranged, and operatingfsubstantially as and in the manner herein described and specified. 7. The bent lever L, brace M, case A and arm Z, of the device IV, in combination with the fingers K" K", and the mechanism for operating the same, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH B. GREENHUT.

Witnesses:

G. W. WHEELER, A. B. FELSENTHAL. 

